16 fell victim to extrajudicial killings in April: HR body

A total of 16 people fell victim to extrajudicial killings by law enforcement agencies in April 2014, according to the monthly bulletin of Ain o Salish Kendra, a Dhaka-based human rights organisation, reports UNB.

It says a total of 66 people were reportedly picked up by members of the law enforcement agencies during the January-April period of this year.

The bulletin says 315 incidents of political violence occurred in the country during the period, leaving 98 people dead and 4,336 injured.  

Revealing the violence against the Hindu minorities, the report says 45 homes were destroyed or set on fire in April while 23 temples, monasteries and statues of gods and goddesses worshipped by the minority community were destroyed during the month.

The human rights body asked the government to acknowledge the incidents of extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances and come up with a clear commitment to make them accountable.  

Ain o Salish Kendra in its bulletin further says the government should provide a time-bound commitment to bring legal reforms to address those human rights violations.